Combined package and skid



March 25,1958 0. w. FOSS v 2,828,007

COMBINED PACKAGE AND SKID Filed June 2. 1954 3,30 E I 2 J 2 34" I 2 IWfiw IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent COMBINED PACKAGE AND SKID Orlando W.Foss, Melrose, Mass.

Application June 2, 1954, Serial No. 433,917

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to skids orpallets.

A skid or pallet, designed for such service as the packaging ofpaperboard sheets, metal sheets or other articles, usually comprises awooden frame with parts spaced sufficiently to accommodate a fork truck.The wooden pallet is expensive and the return transportation is costly.It has also been proposed to make a disposable pallet out of paperboardwith legs of rolled-up paper, but it has been found to have insufiicientstrength and is frequently more costly than the service justifies.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensiveand rugged shipping pallet which is readily transportable in returnshipment and which is capable of substantially unlimited repeat usage.

With this object in view the present invention comprises reinforcedseparate metal corner pieces which may be arranged at the corners of thesheets or other articles to be shipped. A separate center supporting orreinforcing structure may also be provided. In other respects theinvention comprises the subject matter hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of, thecorner pieces and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a complete package,shown turned over on its side for clarity of description.

The complete package shown in Fig. 2 comprises the stack of sheets 4which may be paperboard, for example, although the invention is equallyadaptable to metal sheets, or in fact to a box or carton or otherarticle of regular shape. The stack is supported on four corner pieces6, each of which as shown in Fig. 1 comprises two angle irons 8 and 10joined at the corners. Each angle iron at its end is supplied with adownwardly extending bracket 12 to which is attached a foot 14. Asimilar bracket 16 and foot 18 are preferably arranged at the corner ofthe piece. The various parts are preferably welded together. As shown inFig. 2 the four corner pieces 6 are arranged at the corners of thestack, the bottom sheet of the stack resting on the horizontal portionof each angle iron while the vertical portions 20 position and arepositioned by the stack of sheets. Thus each corner piece 6 engages thebottom and two sides of the package.

The entire assembly is held together by binding means, preferably ofconventional metal strapping 22. As shown in Fig. 2 four straps arepreferably provided, each passing between the feet 14 and 18 of two ofthe cornea pieces. The strapping is secured by'me'ans of theconventional fasteners 24.

When the material to be transported is of weak structural character acenter support is preferably provided. This support, as shown in Fig. 2,preferably consists of a cross 26 formed of two intersecting channelirons 28 and 30. A foot is supported on an angle iron bracket 34 to cometo substantially the same level as the feet 14 and 18. The arms of thecross are engaged and bound by the strapping 22. 1

"ice

the entrance of the usual lifting fork of a fork truck. Alternatively,the fork may enter the central portion of the package when the cornerpieces are sufliciently separated, as for example, on the long side ofthe package shown in Fig. 2.

For return shipment the corner pieces 6 may be conveniently stacked andbound together. The center piece 26, if used, may be tied thereto. Thereturn shipment is elfifieicted more conveniently than with theconventional s Since the parts are of metal, they are of exceptionalstrength. Furthermore, as compared with the conventional wooden skid,they have the advantage that the parts will accommodate a wide range ofsizes, Whereas the wooden skid must be made to size for each package.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a package with a skid, the skid comprising fourcorner pieces each having a horizontal The feet 14 and 18 are separatedsufliciently to permit portion underlying the bottom of the package at acorner thereof and each having two vertical surfaces engaging twosidesof the package, each corner piece having three depending spacedbrackets at the two ends and corner thereof, each bracket having a foot,the three feet on each corner piece being spaced from one another, and aplurality of flexible binding means surrounding the package and securingthe corner pieces thereto, each of said binding means passing betweenthe brackets at an end 'and corner of each of two corner pieces andengaging the underside of the horizontal portions of said corner pieces.

2. The combination of a package with a skid, the skid comprisingfourcorner pieces each having a horizontal portion underlying the bottom-of the package at a corner thereof and each having two verticalsurfaces engaging two sides of the package, each corner piece havingthree depending spaced brackets at the two ends and corner thereof, eachbracket having at foot, central supporting means for the package havinga foot secured thereto, the three feet on each corner piece being spacedfrom one another, and a plurality of flexible binding means surroundingthe package and securing the corner pieces and central supporting meansthereto, each of said binding means passing between the brackets at anend and corner of each of two corner pieces and engaging the undersideof the central supporting means and the horizontal portions of saidcorner pieces.

3. The combination of a package with a skid, the skid comprising fourcorner pieces each having a horizontal portion underlying the bottom ofthe package at a corner thereof and each having two vertical surfacesengaging two sides of the package, each corner piece having threedepending spaced brackets at the two ends and corner thereof, eachbracket having a foot, central supporting means for the packagecomprising a cross-like member having arms to engage the bottom of thepackage, the three feet on each corner piece being spaced from oneanother, and a plurality of flexible binding means surrounding thepackage and securing the corner pieces and central supporting meansthereto, each of said binding means passing between the brackets at anend and corner of each of two corner pieces and engaging the underside.

of an arm of the central supporting means and the horizontal portions ofsaid corner pieces.

